Gas turbine engines are used on vehicles such as airplane and helicopters. These engines are internal combustion engines that operate to produce thrust by discharging a high velocity exhaust. Some gas turbine engines can also include fan blades to create thrust.
Gas turbine engines include one or more compressors, a combustor and one or more turbines. Air is compressed in the compressor(s), mixed with fuel in the combustor and ignited, such that exhaust gases are created and discharged through a turbine to create thrust. The exhaust gas rotates the turbine, which is typically used to turn a shaft and produce shaft work output, such as to drive the compressor or a gearbox. There can be one or more turbines and corresponding shafts producing shaft work output. Systems within a gas turbine engine can use the shaft work output.